Valentine’s Day is close upon us. Beyond chocolate or Tweethearts, there are plenty of techy gifts for your sweethearts (or yourselves).
1. Canon PowerShot N100
For the photographer (and/or selfie enthusiast), preorder Canon’s newest PowerShot (and take a picture of yourself doing it for presentation’s sake) has a rear facing camera, making it a high-powered machine for both traditional photos and selfies. It also connects to your smartphone for easy posting to Instagram and other social networks, which is why we featured as one of our favorite new app-connected gadgets from CES last month. The camera will be available in May.
2. Narrative Clip
If your Valentine is far away, the Narrative Clip is a fun gift idea. You clip the tiny camera on your person and it will take two photos per minute unless you put it to sleep. You can share your day in a series of photos through the smartphone apps for iOS and Android.
3. Chromecast
Plan a low-key night in, complimented by Google’s Chromecast. Stream some Netflix classics or binge 30 Rock for the 5th time. The setup is super easy, and the content streams right from your smartphone.
4. Beep
Also for pre-order (but worth the wait), Beep connects your streaming music to your speakers and docks. Hook it up to the web and easily blast your music throughout your house.
5. Bic Cristal Stylus
Pens aren’t the most romantic gift, but these Bic Cristal pens — which double as a stylus for a smartphone or tablet — are a bit more thoughtful. For a multitasking Valentine who usually has a pen in one hand and an open text in the other, this is a great and easy accessory.
6. PhoneSoap Charger
For (or from) the germaphobe in your life, the PhoneSoap Charger sanitizes your smartphone while it charges. Just pop your phone inside on the charger and let the UV technology do it’s thing. In the morning, you’ll have a full battery, and a million fewer germs.
7. W Series Sports Walkman
This isn’t your ’90s CD player. Sony’s new W Series Walkman is a great gift for an athlete. It’s a wire-free player that fits around your head and, yep, is waterproof. Swimmers, rejoice!
8. June
Summer’s around the corner, and this smart bracelet could be the sunny season’s accessory of choice. June is both a great-looking bracelet and an app-connected gadget that measures your exposure to the sun.
9. Mophie Space Pack
Give the gift of extra juice for your tech-obsessed Valentine. Mophie’s Space Pack isn’t just a charger, it also provides up to 32GB of data storage.
10. Pebble Steel
An upgrade on the usual go-to gift, Pebble Steel is a meld of smart and sleek. It’s got the look of an authentic watch with Pebble’s optimized apps like Pandora, Foursquare and ESPN.
11. QR Code Necklace
Code a necklace that only your Valentine can read with a QR code. These handmade ones from Etsy are Tweet-sized, so you can express your feelings in 140 coded characters.
12. Hotspot Cufflinks
To be ever connected and always sharply dressed, these cufflinks do the trick. From Brookstone, one stores a USB for files, the other a mini router for your wifi-anywhere needs.